△Photo=TUIT students experience semiconductor manufacturing process at Kookmin University's Soft Device Fab (K-Fab)

On November 4 (Monday), Kookmin University (President Jung Seung-ryul) announced that it invited Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT) Vice President Jamshid Sultanov and assistant professors from Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT), Uzbekistan, to introduce and experience the K-Fab, a semiconductor research and education facility on campus.

The event was organized as part of the Korea International Cooperation Agency's (KOICA) Business IT Education Capacity Building Project for Tashkent University of Information and Communication Technology (TUIT) in Uzbekistan to support Kookmin University and TUIT in applying the latest information technology (IT) trends and innovating university education to foster the next generation of IT leaders in Uzbekistan. 
Dr. Junkyoung Seo, Deputy Director of KUIT, presented 'Innovation Case of University Education Environment Based on Industry-Academia Cooperation', followed by 'K-Fab Semiconductor Manufacturing Process Experience' by Dr. Daejung Kim, Professor of Intelligent Semiconductor Convergence and Electronics, and finally, in-depth exchange of opinions to build a global cooperation network in the semiconductor field between Korea and Uzbekistan.

In particular, the TUIT delegation not only toured the facilities and equipment, but also had the opportunity to experience the semiconductor manufacturing process utilizing process equipment such as contact aligner, maskless photo lithography, ALD, PE-CVD, E-beam & Thermal Evaporator, RIE Etcher, etc. in a clean room in addition to entrance and safety education.
“Through this training, I realized the importance of fab facilities and the need for an innovative educational environment,” said Professor Sarvar Makhmudjanov, who participated in the training. ”It was a meaningful opportunity to explore the possibility of mutual cooperation between Korea and Uzbekistan in the IT industry, including semiconductors.”

△Photo=TUIT, benchmarking the K-Fab at Kookmin University

“K-Fab is an industry-university platform where students and researchers can directly use advanced process equipment and cultivate practical skills, and has been contributing to the development of talents that can be immediately put into the industrial field,” said Kim Dae-jung, professor of intelligent semiconductor convergence and electronics. ”We look forward to this opportunity for both countries to activate joint research and technology exchanges in the semiconductor field and establish a global cooperation network to foster excellent human resources.”

Meanwhile, Kookmin University has been selected as a semiconductor major track project organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy from 2022 and has established a semiconductor-IP convergence track within the School of Electronics Engineering. KU has formed an industry-academia consortium with 23 companies in the Seoul metropolitan area, including LX Semicon, Above Semiconductor, Fabless, and Design House, to foster practical talents that meet industrial demands in semiconductor design.